As a toddler, my parents gave me crayons and paper as a method to keep me engaged and entertained. Like many toddlers, I would just scribble, creating mounds of unrecognizable images. Then one day, as explained to me by my parents, they were surprised to see that my work was clearly recognizable: a page full of questions marks. My mother’s response was ‘hmm, how nice!’. My father response was ‘that boy is weird’.
Today, my close friends, recognize that I’m very comfortable with ‘left brain’ approaches. In my left brain world, I find answers to every question, whether answers exist or not. The left brain controls activities on the right side of the body, and in humans, usually controls speech and language functions. The thought processes of logic and calculation are generally associated with the left brain. As a young person, I was fascinated with Mr. Spock and the Vulcan approach to life. For those of you who are not familiar with the original Star Trek series, Vulcans were a humanoid species who hailed from the planet
Mr. Spock
Vulcan. They were unique for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. This approach supported me in graduating from college (I was a physical and mathematical sciences major) and was handy as a software engineer, my first career position. But the Vulcan approach has serious limitations when it comes to filling my need for social connection. Now, the right brain controls activities on the left side of the body and, in humans, usually controls perception of spatial relationships and the ability to recognize common shapes and objects. The thought processes involved in creativity, imagination and many emotions are generally associated with the right brain. Also, my experience has proven that right brain approaches are equally important to operating as an effective leader. I spent my first 25 years in a predominant left brain world and the next 22 years balancing it all with right brain influences. Hence, my work today is heavily grounded in whole brain or ‘whole person’ approaches.
A few years ago, I was having lunch with one of my former Vulcan associates. We were having a fairly deep discussion about all of the personal work that is required of anyone who wants to be an effective consultant. We talked about being objective and removing personal filters and biases. We talked about ‘fear-based’ decision-making. We discussed professional development and navigating change. I found our discussion to be very full and then, all of a sudden, my colleague asked me a question that stopped me cold. In very clear Vulcan language, she asked “Steven, what is your process for regaining balance when you need to?” The answer to this question somehow escaped me. While I was not able to articulate an answer, I knew that there had to be one. This question was like asking Tiger Woods “how do you regain your A-game, when you’re not playing well?” There’s no doubt in my mind, Tiger has an answer for this question. My response was, “I’ll have to get back to you on that”.
On the way home, as I was still pondering this question, I popped in a CD. As a song started playing, I noticed myself drifting away from the question at hand. I started to sing along and a new feeling of excitement overcame me. At that moment I laughed out loud as I realized the answer to the question was right in front of me.”I listen to music that is meaningful to me to re-establish my A-game when I’m not playing well” is my process for regaining balance. Of course, there are other methods like meditation, exercise, health eating, spiritual reading, and etc., but music has the most immediate effect on me. My energy changes in seconds just by listening to a song that has meaning to me. I’ve identified over 100 songs that touch me deeply, but my favorite is Life written and performed by Maurice White, the Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. I would like to share Life with you. I have not been successful at finding the official lyrics to the song, so I attempted to write them myself below. A sample of the song can be found at this link:
Life, by Maurice White
Let’s join the dance of life
Come on join the dance
Let’s join the dance of life
Come on join the dance
Come on, come on, come on
Let’s join the dance
Come on, come on, come on
Let’s join the dance
Wake up, generate the feeling
Life knows where you’re going (yeah)
I know, if we keep believing
There ain’t nothing we can’t do
I raise my hand to fight
But there’s no war there’s only light
Shining down on me
Now I’m free
Everybody has the voice
Sing out loud and make a choice
Let freedom ring
Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh, ohhh
Life
Such a simple joy
Every girl and boy
Open up your heart
And we can start to see the light
Breaking through the dark
You will play a part
I believe in every special moment
We call life
Reach high
Let’s become the music
Let’s become the song we sing
Some say, we don’t have the answer
Walking on a street called dreams
Raise our heads and you may find
Raise the truth and justify
Why we are here
Make it clear
Everybody has the voice
Sing out loud and make a choice
Let freedom ring
Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh, ohhh
Life
Every step you take
Every thing you make
Lead you to another place in time
And change your life
Hold it in your hands
Come and join the dance
You can play a part in every moment
It’s your life
Join the dance of life, join the dance
Join the dance of life, join the dance
Join the dance of life, join the dance
Join the dance of life, join the dance
Join the dance of life, join the dance
Join the dance of life
Life
Such a simple joy
Every girl and boy
Open up your heart
And we can start to see the light
Breaking through the dark
You will play a part
I believe in every special moment
Life
Every step you take
Every thing you make
Lead you to another place in time
And change your life
Hold it in your hands
Come and join the dance
You can play a part in every moment
We call life
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Life
Come and reach that high
Make it come alive
Everyday I write another chapter in my life
Hold it in your hands
Come and join the dance
You can play a part in every moment
We call life
